Home Landscaping Course

Developing from the concept plan - cont.

Getting Down to Details

Above all, you should approach this Final Planning stage in a systematic way. You might, for instance, work over the plan, following five steps, as follows:

1st - Consider and adjust the relative size and shape of each area of the garden. Have you allocated enough or too much space for such things as outdoor living, washing line, vegie garden, rubbish bin, parking cars, children's play area, access (eg. are paths or open spaces wide enough to move through with a barrow or rubbish bin?) etc. Some areas may need to be drawn a little larger or smaller, wider or narrower.

2nd - Consider the boundaries between each garden room or area. Decide what views you want blocked, and what needs to be opened. It may be that some areas need to be physically enclosed (eg. a swimming pool, dog enclosure or children's sand pit) to stop movement from one part of the garden to another. Other areas may need to be visually blocked fully or partially (eg. a place where the rubbish bin is stored, or an ugly view beyond the property). Now draw the divisions between each area - a gate or opening here, a wall, fence or perhaps see-through trellis somewhere else. Some areas may have nothing but an imaginary line or low hedge between them, creating a more subtle separation between two garden rooms.

3rd - Consider the components in each area, one by one. Decide on how the ground will be treated (eg. mulch, paving, lawn, gravel, pebbles, timber decking etc). Some areas may have one treatment; others may incorporate a couple of different treatments. Be careful about using too many surface treatments though; you will create a greater sense of unity using only one or two treatments.

Also consider such things as garden ornaments, water features, wall paintings, seating, walling, steps and any other accessories. At this stage you should also broadly think about the types of plants you will use, in order to choose the most appropriate hard landscaping components (more detailed consideration of plants is given in the next step). Decide on exactly what hard landscaping features should be included here - type and size.

4th - Consider the types of plants to be used, firstly deciding where to use trees, then shrubs, then other plants; and finally deciding what plant varieties to use where. This final planting design is sometimes drawn on a separate plan to avoid the clutter that can occur if you try to illustrate it on the same piece of paper that illustrates details of hard landscaping.

5th - Consider the "almost finished" plan, and visualise what it would look like from various locations in the garden. Think to yourself: if you were standing here and looking in that direction, what would it look like? Then consider what could be added to make that line of view look better. It may be that by relocating a pond, seat or statue slightly, or by adding in a feature that was not previously included, the whole effect could move from being an average garden, to becoming a stunning one.

PLANTING DESIGN

Most gardens will include plants of all shapes and sizes: trees, shrubs, climbers, creepers, and perhaps bulbs, perennials and vegetables. Planting design should consider the way in which plants are combined, the spaces between them, their relative vigour (and how they will interact with each other) and their suitability for the location and conditions where they are planted. Some of the points to consider:

• As trees grow, how will their shade affect the conditions for plants growing near it, and how will it affect the garden's microclimate?
• Some plants can become invasive and may become a weed if not controlled.
• Some plants may bring pests or diseases to the garden, or may cause problems (eg. destructive roots), if planted in the wrong position, or if not constantly maintained.
• Some plants require much less care and attention than others.
• Some plants are slow to mature, while others grow fast and give you a more immediate effect. (Think about how long you intend living in the property. If you plant to move in 5 years, what is the point choosing plants that take 10 years to look good?)